NASA is facing scrutiny after allocating millions to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and environmental justice initiatives despite laying off staff and cutting space programs due to budget shortfalls. Since 2020, the agency has awarded approximately $10 million in grants aimed at advancing environmental justice and DEI, while facing billions in funding gaps needed to complete its primary missions.
NASA’s grants have targeted universities and cities to study and address environmental issues in minority communities. Columbia University, for example, received $150,000 to “pair earth observations with socioeconomic data” to work on environmental justice in New York City. Similarly, Los Angeles was awarded $250,000 for NASA’s Predictive Environmental Analytics and Community Engagement for Equity and Environmental Justice (PEACE) program to provide pollution data to residents, addressing racial disparities in pollution exposure, as reported by The Daily Caller.
Meanwhile, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory laid off about 530 workers, many of whom were involved in Mars research, a move that has raised concerns about the agency’s priorities. Despite these layoffs and budget constraints affecting major projects like the Mars Sample Return program and the multibillion-dollar space telescope, NASA has continued to invest in embedding DEI across its operations.
NASA’s efforts are in line with the current administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which mandates that 40% of beneficiaries of federal environmental programs come from underserved communities, often defined as “majority minority.”
